A columnist has explained why January can be a very popular time for people to have parties.

Nigel Farndale, a journalist and author, wrote in The Telegraph that the reason for this trend is largely down to a delayed desire to be sociable within groups of friends, who may opt to hire event venues for their occasions rather than host them at home.

He said: “Back in November, they start feeling guilty about how antisocial they’ve been all year and they want to make amends, but by then the pre-Christmas diaries are full, hence the overspill into January.”

Mr Farndale explained that everyone he knows seems to have a party in the first month of the new calendar, which is challenging for him, since he likes to take the month off drinking alcohol – something he looks forward to doing each year.

One reason why people might feel the need to throw a party in January is that the month is often associated with being a miserable time of year for Brits.

The Guardian reported that ‘Blue Monday’, the third Monday of January, continues to be reported on as the most depressing day of the year by many media outlets, despite the arbitrary and pseudo-scientific nature of the equation that created the phenomenon.

It was originally dreamed up by a PR firm in 2005 yet it remains in the public consciousness, with diverse organisations using it to promote awareness of issues or simply raise money.